Friday, 18 January 2013

Rejuvenation

Reedbeds
under conservation management have traditionally been managed by rotational
cutting, with the objective of slowing natural succession. Even on a small
site, such an objective is questionable, but with a site of over 200 ha, this
is not a feasible option. So Ham Wall in Somerset is the focus of a larger
scale ‘reedbed rejuvenation’ project, a trial of a new form of reedbed
management. Compartments of up to 20 ha
will be held at a lower water level for a number of years and reverted to
grassland by a combination of cutting, burning and grazing. After maybe five
years, the ground will be re-flooded to create shallow open water and reeds
will slowly re-colonise. Compartments
will be 'rejuvenated' on rotation in order to maintain a range of successional
states within the reedbed.

I returned
to Ham Wall last week to look at the first compartment to be managed in this way
and recently re-flooded after several years of drier conditions.So what will happen next?Well, we expect the newly flooded habitat
will provide good feeding opportunities for a range of reedbed and wetland birds
as the reeds regain dominance over a number of years. In the short-term, it should attract large
numbers of waders, wildfowl, egrets and herons over the next year or so as
water levels fluctuate, particularly as they drop in late summer.The land will be allowed to revert to
reedbed, with higher water levels, and continue through its succession to old,
littered reedbed, before the process is repeated.

Although
early days, the first signs are promising.Large numbers of duck, including Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall and Shoveler are
already using the area, with Lapwing and up to 200 Snipe around the
margins.A dozen Water Pipits flitted
around the margins.A couple of Great
White Egrets were in the area and it is hoped they will find the area to their
liking.

A grizzled old ecologist/birder, usually to be found roaming around the Lee Valley and occasionally further afield. Fortunate to be involved in the management of some of the UK's finest nature reserves and always looking for ways of improving them for birds.